Scary Encounters
by Tiamat1972
Summary: A 13 Days of Halloween LJ Challenge posted in no particular order.
1. 01 Darkness

This is a series of short fics I wrote up for the 13 Days of Halloween Challenge on the Transfiction LJ back in 2006. It is based in my Mechamorphosis AU. All human characters, Static and Slipstone are mine. The rest I borrowed from Hasbro and Fantasy Flight Games. I'd return them when I was done but they don't want to leave. ;D

The challenge themes are as follows:

01. Darkness  
02. Black cat  
03. Ghost  
04. Pumpkins  
05. Costumes  
06. Crescent Moon  
07. Orange  
08. Trick  
09. Spider webs  
10. Fog  
11. Treat  
12. Graveyard  
13. Thirteen

The stories won't be posted in this order. I'll be posting them in the order they make sense. On to the fics!

Title: #01 - Darkness  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Mirage does some soul searching.

He sat in the darkness and contemplated it. The absence of light; soft, warm and enfolding, like a blanket or womb. Cold, harsh and deadly, like the vacuum of space. Many descriptions, poetic and otherwise, most conflicting and subject to mood and opinion.

The darkness had once been a refuge for him; an escape from the pressures of the world and the press of people around him. Warm, welcome solitude. Now it was the opposite; cold, barren and more than a little bit lonely.

For darkness without its opposite is endless. He realized that truth too late. As he had realized how much the others had come to mean to him. How much their light had enriched his dark existence.

It was his own fault, he knew. He couldn't deny it. He had betrayed them. Undermined their trust and sold them to the enemy. Enfolded in his darkness, he had told himself he didn't care.

But as he was confronted with the aftermath of his actions, he felt a gnawing pain at the edge of his spark. As he saw the worry, the anguish, the fear over the missing members. His own partner was inconsolable over the disappearance of his wife, so very near her time.

Unable to take the turmoil, he had fled to the Tyrant base. To be among his own kind. But he was again confronted with the consequences. Sideswipe was forced to fight battle after battle, one on one, as he had on Mecha Terra. But when he had defeated one opponent, another, stronger one took his place and the battle began anew. Champion though he was, this was a contest he would ultimately lose. And he knew it, yet he battled on. It was the only way he could keep his friend safe.

But she wasn't. Due to give birth anytime, actually past her due date, Gwen had gone into labor at the worst possible time. And she wouldn't be able to give birth without assistance. Her first pregnancy had had complications at birth and it appeared this one did as well. She needed to get to a hospital immediately or both she and the baby would die.

That was what decided him. Sideswipe and Gwen weren't innocents and had lived their lives, but the child was innocent and hadn't a chance unless someone did something. So he had acted. He took Gwen from her cage and sped to the nearest hospital. Just in time.

This, of course, had quite thoroughly burned his last bridge with Starscream. And Gwen, of course, had directed the other Exiles to the Tyrant base to rescue a battered Sideswipe. Then the inevitable questions were asked and he couldn't doubletalk his way around them this time. So here he was.

But that wasn't the worst.

Once rescued and given proper medical attention, Gwen, the baby and Sideswipe were fine and recovering. His human partner, Brad, had distracted himself with fussing over his family and was recovering from the fright he had received. Sunstreaker had promised to pound him into the ground at some point. This was all normal.

No, the worst was Hound.

When his duplicity was revealed, the scout had been too shocked to say anything. At the time. The words came later when Hound had visited him in his cell. The hurt, betrayed expression on Hound's face was almost too much to bear and the words seared his spark to the core. He had become fonder of Hound than he had realized and this, their fight and apparent split, was the final blow.

So now, he sat in the darkness of the room, contemplating his darkness within and longed for the light.


	2. 08 Trick

Title: #8 – Trick  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Set in my AU. Sunstreaker and two OC femmes set a prank for Sideswipe.

"Help me out here. It's stuck."

"How can I keep watch and help you at the same time? We should have got Static to help."

"Just help me, okay? And no, if this works, I want to do it to him."

"It is really stuck, isn't it?"

"ssshhhhh. I think I heard something."

Sunstreaker stood around the corner listening to the whispers. He grinned and stepped around it.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" Mock disapproval filled his voice.

The two young femmes jumped up, wide-opticked in alarm. They had what Sadie would call a "deer in the headlights" expression on their faces. Scattered around them where various tools and pieces from a half set up prank.

"Well we, ah, that is, uhm… "Rally began.

Sunstreaker waved her silent. "You were setting up a paint prank over the door to my quarters."

The two femmes stared at him fearfully. Sunstreaker wasn't known for his patience, especially when his paint job was threatened.

"My only question," he stared Smallfoot in the optics. She was too innocent, too much in awe of him and had too big of a crush on him to even consider lying to him. "is whether this little prank was for me or for Sideswipe."

"It was for Sideswipe! Honest!" Smallfoot blurted out. Rally face palmed. Smalls just couldn't talk her way out of anything.

Sunstreaker grinned mischievously at them, startling them again.

"Good. Now this is what you need to do to get it too work."

The two femmes exchanged a glance, then grinned and got back to work.


	3. 07 Orange

Title: #7 - Orange  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Sideswipe got pranked. Sequel to #8 - Trick.

Slipstone and Tailgate were in the lounge working on a homework assignment Aegis had given them. Tailgate was muttering and grumbling. He hated history. It was just stories of people doing bad things to each other, mostly. He found it depressing. Smallfoot and Slipstone were actually the only ones who enjoyed the lectures.

Slipstone was helping him do some research for an essay comparing the human Roman Empire to the Tyrant rule back on Mecha Terra. They had just started when a livid, glowing form stormed into the room.

"Where are they?" Sideswipe demanded.

Slipstone and Tailgate were both to startled to answer him or even wonder who he was asking for. The red viper was red no longer. The predominate color was 10-mile orange with black shiny speckles, which, if one looked close enough, were shaped like cats, bats, pumpkins and ghosts. Neither youth wanted to get that close to the incensed warrior though.

Slipstone realized that he better say something before Sideswipe got angrier and took it out on them.

"Who are you looking for?" he ventured voice, quivering a little.

"Your slagging sisters and my slagging brother."

"Uhm, we don't know. They went out hours ago," Tailgate supplied.

"Fine." Sideswipe stormed back out of the room, leaving an orange paint trail behind him.

Slipstone and Tailgate waited tensely until they were sure he was out of audio range, then they broke down into laughter.

Homework went much smoother after that.


	4. 09 Spider Webs

Title: #09 – Spider Webs  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Sideswipe gets his revenge. Sequel to #07 - Orange

Finally! He thought. I'm done that slagging assignment.

Tailgate saved his work and shut down his datapad. He stood and stretched, to relieve cramped and kinked muscle cables.

Sideswipe, still partly orange, burst into the room suddenly.

"You didn't see me!" He whispered and dashed out the other doors.

Tailgate might have been a little more stunned if such things weren't a daily occurrence. Instead he shrugged and started tidying the table, quietly thanking the datapads for their assistance. The ones with data he found particularly helpful got a friendly pat or stroke before being put back in their places.

Pounding footsteps gave him only a seconds warning before … it … burst through the door.

"Yikes!" He shrieked.

Sixteen towering feet of white stringy mass interspersed with huge clods of dirt, leaves and whatever. Crowned by two glowing, raging blue optics.

"Gate! Where is that red menace?! Which way did he go!?" Sunstreaker's voice snarled from underneath.

"I dunno." Tailgate stammered.

Snorting in disgust, Sunstreaker stormed out and down the hall. Everyone had to think fast or get shoved out of the way.

Garth peeled himself off a wall and approached Tailgate, who was peeking out of the door.

"Who got him?" He asked.

"Sideswipe, I think."

Garth chuckled. "I'm impressed. Where did he find that much spider web? Must be a lot of homeless arachnids tonight."

"Thanks Garth. Glad you liked it. Oh and you didn't see me." Sideswipe snuck by them, a camera clutched in his hands.

"Gotta get a pic of the spider web mummy monster for my scrapbook." Sideswipe smirked and chuckled evilly as he stalked his brother.


	5. 04 Pumpkin

Title: #04 – Pumpkins  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Bluestreak hides from pranks and chats with friends.

"There! Perfecto!" Marty held up his creation for Bluestreak to see.

The sounds of shrieks and giggles, the pounding of running feet and the angry shouts made Bluestreak very glad he was in here with the human staff, instead of out amongst all the chaos.

"Nice, I think. I still don't understand the point of all this." Bluestreak took the orange sphere Marty had been carving and scrutinized it closely.

"Be gentle with it Blue. Those 'squash' easily." Gwen quipped. She grinned at him.

Cody groaned, " Gwen! Enough with your horrible puns!"

Bluestreak gently returned the pumpkin to Marty. "I don't get it."

Any reply someone would have made to that was interrupted by a shout outside the room.

"I'm gonna shred you slagger if it's the last thing I do!!" Followed by a whoop of glee and the squealing of tires.

"Sounds like the Halloween prank-fest is in full swing. There we are honey. All done." Sadie beamed down at the little girl.

"Tank you Gramma." Andrea gave her a sticky, slimy hug. They were both covered in pumpkin anyways, so Sadie didn't mind. She wouldn't have minded anyways.

"Why does she call you that? You're not actually her grandmother. You said you weren't related to Gwen or Brad." Bluestreak was curious.

"It's a title of respect and affection Bluestreak, as well as a relationship." Marty explained.

Bluestreak absorbed this. "Oh, I see."

"How many we got done?" Cody asked. "I'm almost done here, with this one."

Marty placed his creation amongst the other completed ones and counted them. "Lessee, one, two… ten here plus the you got Cody and the ones Gwen, Sadie and Andrea worked on, we got a total of thirteen."

"Perfect." Gwen exclaimed. "Prowl's favorite number. Let's get them up to the office."

Bluestreak listened at the doors. "Maybe we should wait for a ceasefire first." Girlish screams could be heard through the doors, interspersed with giggles and shouts of "Look out, here he comes!"

"Well since we have time, anyone for ghost stories? I know some doozies." Cody grinned and settled back.

"Just keep'em PG." Gwen suggested pointing towards her daughter.


	6. 06 Crescent Moon

Title: #6 – Crescent Moon  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Ratchet ends the prank wars. Prowl speculates on the cause.

"And that ends the Halloween Prank-Olympics," Ratchet stated firmly.

Ratchet had become involved when he was 'accidentally' covered in glue and feathers by Sunstreaker (who was still partly covered in spider webs and swore it was meant for Sideswipe and Ratchet got in the way). He had tracked down the other culprits and found Smallfoot painted in white stripes (to resemble a candy cane) and Sideswipe in the process of painting a pumpkin motif on a squirming Rally. Sideswipe was still covered in the orange paint and was getting covered in more while he wrestled with Rally to add yet another Jack-O'-Lantern to her plating. Ratchet had chased them all down to Medical where he gave them a thorough reaming out and set them to work cleaning each other up. He had promised them more work to come as well.

Aegis couldn't hide his amusement, Andre openly snickered and even Prowl struggled to keep a straight face. Ratchet maintained his stance of injured stoicism for only moments longer before he sighed and sat down.

"I don't know what's gotten into them all lately," he said.

Prowl looked thoughtful, "Maybe it's the moon."

All eyes and optics turned to him. Prowl shrugged, " I was reading an article on how crime and generally strange behavior increase under the phasing of the moon."

Ratchet gave an annoyed look to the Second, "Don't you start."

Andre chuckled, "No Ratchet, he's partly right. Crime does statistically increase during the full moon and you do see a lot more craziness as well. But that's not the case here."

"You sure?" Prowl inquired.

"Completely. Moon isn't full right now. It's only a crescent."

"So we have more joy and merriment coming up when the moon turns full?"

"If the moon affects mechs the way it does humans, then yes."

"By the Great Generator let's hope not."


	7. 03 Ghost

Title: #3 - Ghost  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Set in my AU. Sunstreaker the ghost buster…

"Alright Andrea, what's the problem?" The yellow warrior gazed down at the small human at his feet.

"sniff, sob. A ghost. It scared me."

"Where is it?" He was trying not to roll his optics.

"Dere and dere and dere." She pointed around her room clutching her fuzzy duck lightly.

"Okay. All ghosts have 1 second to vacate this room before I beat the scrap outa you!" Sunstreaker glared around the room. "One!"

After a couple moments of silence, he nodded to Gwen and Brad, who quickly put their daughter back to bed. She went willingly after hugging and kissing Sunstreaker's leg.

Turning off the light, the adult humans and the exile retreated to the living room.

"So how does one beat up a ghost? Aren't they insubstantial?" Brad was asking.

"Who cares as long as she goes to sleep. Thanks 'Unca Sunny'." Gwen smiled at the yellow viper as they walked to the apartment door.

Sunstreaker grimaced at the detested nickname and sighed. "Anytime, I guess, Goodnight."


	8. 02 Black Cat

Title: #2 – Black Cat  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Slipstone wants a pet.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"Can I have a pet?"

"Depends. Pets can be a lot of work."

"I can handle it."

"sigh You probably could. You are the most responsible of your siblings."

"Thanks Mom."

"But you still cause the most damage around here."

"Aww Mom. Those are…"

"Accidents. Yes I know. What kind of pet?"

"A kitten."

"Slipstone, you know I'm allergic to cats. No."

"It's ok Mom. This one won't bother you. I'm sure of it."

"Really. It would have to be bald for that to happen."

"It sorta is."

Gwen looked suspiciously at the dark blue Exile that had adopted her as 'Mom'. "Ok then. Let's see it."

"I can keep it?!"

"Let me see it before I decide."

"ooookkkkkaaaaayyyyy."

Slipstone brought his hands from behind his back. There, squirming madly to get away, was a newly polished Ravage wearing a bright blue bow. His face reflected disgust as only a freshly bathed cat can. Gwen stared, struck dumb with astonishment. She struggled to him her voice.

"Where did you find him?"

"He followed me home. Can I keep him?"

"I'll bet he did. No. Absolutely not."

"But…"

"No. Send it back to the Tyrants ASAP."

"But…"

"No buts. Now."

"Yes Mom."


	9. 10 Fog

Title: #10 - Fog  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General

Pairings: Hound/Mirage  
Summary: Hound feels lost.

Hound sat on the rooftop and gazed out upon the city. A fog was rolling in from the nearby river. He watched it as it rolled up the bank and started to fill the streets.

It was a good analogy for how he felt. He was a scout and a good one at that. He never got lost but lost is how he felt right now. His path through life, once so clear, was now shrouded as though with fog.

He couldn't understand how Mirage could have turned on them like that. Betrayed them, betrayed Gwen and Sideswipe, betrayed him. He was shocked, stunned by the news and rendered speechless. When he had found his voice, he had confronted Mirage, to clarify things, thinking that there had to be a mistake. Speaking to him though, it was like speaking to a stranger that knew you far too well. The friendship, the bond he had felt with his fellow scout was all a lie, a carefully crafted deception.

"Hound? What are you doing out here all by yourself? Come join the festivities. Gwen's home and the baby is just precious. Come see him, " Sadie stood in the lighted doorway, cutting a path through the fog. She resembled an angel in a dream, outlined in the light, surrounded by mist.

Hound got up and followed her inside grasping at her warm, wise presence like a lifeline. Sadie understood how he felt, he knew, and would help guide his spark back out of the fog into the light.


	10. 11 Treat

Title: #11 - Treat  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Set in my AU. Robots don't make good babysitters. Even if they mean well.

"Come on Andrea. It's time for your nap," Bluestreak tried to catch the small human to put her in her bed.

"Noooo!" Andrea refused. Her eyes glistened and threatened to run over with angry tears.

"Mommy said you had to go for one. Look, you are sleepy," Bluestreak tried explaining.

"No! Not tired!" The little girl couldn't stifle the yawn.

"Look, if you got for your nap, when you get up you can had a –" Bluestreak was getting desparate.

"Don't say it! No!" Hound tried to stop him.

"—treat," Bluestreak finished.

"Treat!" Andrea sang out. She looked expectantly at the two Exiles.

"Let's go for a nap, then treat," Bluestreak tried again.

"Treat!" Andrea demanded, jumping up and down.

"Now you've done it," Hound admonished.

"Treat!" Andrea started to sob. She fell in a heap on the floor.

"Oops," Bluestreak was contrite.

"sigh" Hound picked he up and gives her the promised treat.

"Treat!" Andrea held it up and waved it triumphantly.

When Gwen and Brad came to pick up Andrea from her Exile babysitters that evening, they took one look at the defiant little face and said, "No nap?"

"Nope," Hound looked ready for a nap himself. Bluestreak looked both sheepish and exhausted and was amazingly quiet.

"How come?" Brad inquired.

"Blue used the 'T' word."


	11. 05 Costumes

Title: #05 – Costumes  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Sideswipe and Hound go trick or treating with friends. One thing I should mention is that in my AU, Hound transforms into a quad and is only about six feet tall.

"Okay. Let's start from the beginning. Explain this to me again."

Gwen sighed. Sadie laughed and made a 'go on, go ahead' motion to the younger woman.

Gwen tried again. "Okay Aegis. Next week is Halloween. Check with Perceptor for the history and what-nut; he's compiling a fact sheet on it. Simple version is, this is the human holiday where children dress up in costumes and go door to door and get candy. I'm taking Andrea out in Sadie's neighborhood. Sideswipe and Hound want to come along. Hound is going to use his hologram to give himself a costume. I figure Sideswipe could go as himself. Everyone would think he's in a really good costume."

"And yourself?"

"I'm the mom. Costumes are optional for me. And I refuse to go as a pumpkin like Ratchet suggested."

Aegis couldn't hide the amused smile. "And you are speaking to me instead of Prowl-"

"Prowl can't see the logic behind the whole 'trick or treat' tradition. And he is touchy lately on anything to do with Vipers. Or bungee cords."

Aegis optics twinkled. "Prowl swears you had something to do with it"

"I didn't. All I said when I found out about it was they might not want to do it to Bluestreak. It would probably send him over the edge."

"So you didn't try to stop them?"

"I'm noticing a lot of amusement from you on this. I'm not their mother; I already have six and half kids and last time I checked, they were suppose to be adults."

"Five of those kids you claim are supposed to be adults too.

"And yet they call me mom. Go figure."

"Anyways. Back to Hollow Beam for the moment."

"Halloween."

"Yes of course. Doesn't Sunstreaker want to join his brother in this?"

"Nah, doesn't want to be stared at like a freak."

"Ah, I see. Alright then, I give my approval for Sideswipe and Hound to accompany you and Andrea."

"Thanks Aegis. I'll tell Sides not to bungee cord you, so you won't change your mind."

At his shocked look, Gwen gave and exasperated sigh." Nexus Aegis, I'm KIDDING."

"Ooohhh…"

A week later, Sideswipe (having been shrunk for the occasion by Smallfoot), Hound, Gwen and Andrea (dressed like a dinosaur) piled into Ratchet for a lift over to Sadie's house. Ratchet was going to spend the evening with Sadie, keeping her company while she passed out candy to the neighborhood kids.

Hound had decided to imitate a costume he had seen in a flyer, to complement Andrea's costume. He was using the hologram of a white and brown spotted dog costume. When he had practiced it back at HQ, it had sent Sideswipe into hysterics.

"Okay guys, it works like this. You two walk Andrea to the door, knock or ring the bell and all three of you say 'trick or treat' when someone answers. I stand to the side and take pictures. The person will put candy in your bags and you will make sure Andrea says thank you. Then you go to the next house with lights."

"What about the houses without lights?"

"No one is home."

"What if they are, just pretending to be so they don't have to give out candy?"

"You answered your own question Sides."

"Why are we trick or treating here, instead of around our place?"

"'Cause the only 'treats' being handed out are the 'tricks' from the hookers."

"Really? Well I…"

"Shut it Sides. We don't want to know."

"Well I'd really…"

"Never mind you. You two understand what to do?"

"Yes." "Piece of oil cake."

"Good. Let's go. Come on sweetie."

Gwen led them out down the street. Hound activated his costume and Sideswipe walked with Andrea, holding her little hand.

The first house…

Hound ushered Sides and Andrea up the walk. Andrea had decided she was shy so it was necessary to herd her up to the door.

"Trick or Treat!" Hound and Sideswipe sang out to the waiting lady.

"Say it." Hound whispered to Andrea.

"Treat!" she sang out.

The lady laughed. "So cute!" She passed out some candy.

"Thank you." Hound said. He then nudged Sideswipe and Andrea to get them to say it as well. They then waved as they walked to the next house.

Within a few houses, Andrea had gotten the hand of it, banging on the doors, helping open them when the lady or man were too slow for her liking and saying trick or treat and thank you. Hound was getting a nice collection of candy, which he was planning on giving to Lucy. She was going to take it into the children's ward at the hospital, for kids unable to trick or treat themselves. He wasn't sure what Sideswipe was doing with his 'haul' but was sure he was safer not knowing.

After a few blocks of this Andrea seemed to be getting tired and Gwen was noticeably lagging. She just didn't have the stamina. Hound suggested they call it a night. Sideswipe had other ideas though.

"Aww, so soon? We're just getting warmed up."

"Sides, I'm tired, Andrea's tired and it's getting late. People are closing up for the night already."

"Can we do something else them? I heard some of those older kids talking about tee-peeing someone's house or car."

"No! We are not toilet papering someone's house. Andrea would skin us. You guys too."

"Is that what that means? Really?"

"Yes and we aren't doing it. Lets head to Sadie's and see what we got."

"I'm about out of juice for my hologram anyway Sideswipe. We gotta head back."

Sideswipe let out a dramatic sigh. "OK."

Gwen blinked. It was so much like a gesture her daughter was doing lately. She wondered briefly who was the bad influence on who. Hound just laughed.

Andrea didn't want to admit she was tired but was inclined to be cranky. Hound carried her to speed things up on the way to Sadie's and she fell asleep on his shoulder.

After a short visit at Sadie's (short because Gwen started falling asleep in her chair and Sadie chastised them for exhausting her), they piled into Ratchet and headed home. They were greeted at the entrance by Aegis, Prowl and Brad.

"I still can't believe you authorized Sideswipe of all mechs to walk around in public like that." Prowl was giving Sideswipe the look that promised dire things if he had misbehaved.

"Lay off him Prowl. Sideswipe was a perfect gentlemech tonight. People had trouble deciding who was cuter, him or Andrea." Hound handed the dinosaur in question to her father while looking at Prowl with a smile.

The mech in question was busy helping a barely conscious Gwen from Ratchet.

Aegis broke in quietly, "Sideswipe, why don't you help Brad and take Gwen to their quarters. She's already in stasis by the look of it."

Sideswipe grinned up at Aegis and gave him a quick jaunty salute before easily lifting up Gwen who protested sleepily and carried her after Brad.

Aegis then herded the three mechs into his office for a full report on this "Hollow Beam." He smiled when he heard it.

"My fellow Exiles, if I'm correct, we should soon be able to join human society at a new level, theirs. Ratchet, Hound, I'll want you two and Perceptor, Slipstream and Smallfoot to meet me in the labs tomorrow morning. We have a lot of work to do."


	12. 12 Graveyard

Title: #12 – Graveyard  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Ratchet keeps a friend company. (Lame, I know but it's REAL short)

The woman got out of the van, her silver-streaked brown hair, tossing in the wind. She took a couple steps away and waited a moment while the van transformed and walked to join her.

"Thanks for coming with me Ratchet."

"Anytime Sadie."

They walked in silence down the graveled path until they came to the correct row. Ratchet waited on the path, so not to disturb the grounds under his weight.

Sadie placed the small bouquet of flowers she brought with her in the small attached vase and crossed herself. She said a small prayer and then stood.

"Happy Anniversary honey." She whispered then went to rejoin Ratchet.


	13. 13 Thirteen

Title: #13 - Thirteen  
Series: 13 Days of Halloween Challenge...  
Ratings: General  
Summary: Prowl tries to teach a little girl to count…

"Ok now try it again." Prowl was saying.

"1…2...3...4...5...6...7…8...9...10…11...12…14...15..." Andrea recited.

"No, no. 11…12…**13**…14…" Prowl corrected.

"15…16…17…18…19…20." Andrea beamed proudly at an increasingly frustrated Prowl.

Ratchet came in and quietly observed the spectacle with an amused Gwen.

"…11…12…14…" Andrea was reciting again.

"You forgot 13 again." Prowl pointed out.

"How long have they been at it?" Ratchet asked.

"About an hour now." Gwen couldn't stop grinning.

"Is she doing it on purpose?" Ratchet scrutinized the small human femme. She was cute but oh so trying.

"Hard to say. She is only four but this is a great game too." Gwen was enjoying this as much as her daughter.

"Ok say it with me." Prowl tried another tack.

"1…2...3...4...5...6...7…8...9...10…11...12…" Prowl and Andrea recited together.

"19…4…12…16…" Andrea continued on her own tangent. Prowl turned imploringly towards Gwen, who grinned and shrugged.

"Now she's doing it on purpose." Ratchet chuckled.

"Yes she is."


End file.
